The Tale of Sprucekit
by Pennypatch
Summary: Spruce, Brush, and their mother, Pine, leave their old home only to find a little surprise! ok, this summary kinda sucks cuz it's a short story, but i promise that the story will be a whole lot better! plz r&r. flamers welcome!
1. Chapter 1

On a cold stormy night, three cats, a queen and her two kits, Spruce a she-cat and Brush a tom, were journeying to find a nice dry place to stay until the rain stopped. Suddenly, they heard a crash of thunder, followed by the howling of wolves in the distance. "Momma, why couldn't we just stay where we were? It was at least dry there," Spruce complained to her mother.

"Because... I-I could sense something bad. Something that would take us away, so we had to leave," the queen answered.

"Well, what was the bad thing? Why couldn't daddy just chase it off like he normally does?" as the small tom asked that last question, the queen started to cry, but she stopped herself. The memories of her mate disappearing in the fire that was spreading like crazy. She wasn't going to tell them the truth until they were older.

"You don't need to worry about what the bad thing is, just that it is bad. Got it?" She looked sternly at her kits. They both nodded in return. Then, the bushes in front of them started to rustle.

"Shh! Lilypaw, we have to be quiet! Do you want whoever is there to hear us?" Spruce thought she heard someone talking. She hasn't seen any other cat except for her family. "That's what I thought, now keep quiet!"

Three cats stepped out in front of Spruce, Brush, and their mother. There was a black she-cat, a gray she-cat with black stripes, and a smaller pale gray she-cat who Spruce thought was quite fluffy. The black she-cat was crouching, with her hackles bristling. The other older she-cat gently laid her tail on the other's shoulder to calm her down a little. "What are you doing in our territory?" the black cat hissed.

The gray cat glared at her, then looked back at the three. "I'm so sorry for my warrior, but she is right; you are trespassing."

"I'm so sorry. We were just passing through. Our old home, well," The queen looked down at her kits before continuing, "we had to leave or else we would all die." She realized what she had just said, and shut her mouth.

"I'm so sorry. I'm Stormstar by the way, and this," she indicated her tail to the black she-cat, "is Spottedshadow, and the younger one here is Lilypaw. If you are still looking for a place to stay, you are welcome in my Clan." Spruce and Brush looked up at their mother seeing if she would accept the offer.

"Well, if you insist, I don't think we can go much farther anyway."

As Stormstar led them to their camp, Lilypaw was explaining their ways to both Brush and Spruce. She explained that when you are a kit, you get the name -kit, and when you're in training to become a warrior or the medicine cat, you would get the name -paw. When you become a warrior, you get different names like -shadow or -fire, but if you became leader, you get the name -star. She also explained that they follow StarClan, their warrior ancestors.

Finally, they reached the camp. Stormstar jumped up on a rock, and called all of the cats to gather. Spruce did what everyone else did, and sat down in front of the rock. "Cats of StormClan! We have three new members to welcome to this growing Clan." She indicated Brush, Spruce, and their mother to come forward. All of the cats in the clearing stared at them. "Pine," she addressed their mother, "do you promise to be loyal to this Clan, and fight for everyone in it even at the cost of your life?"

Pine thought for a second, then meowed, "Yes. If my kits are going to be in this Clan, then I will too. I've learned some things from my mate at our old home, so I will be of some help."

"Then, by the powers of StarClan, I shall give you your warrior name! Pine, from this day forward, you shall be known as Pinefrost. We welcome you to the Clan." She then glanced down at Spruce and Brush. "Spruce, you aren't old enough to become and apprentice and neither are you, Brush, so I shall give you your kit names. Spruce, from this day forward, you shall be known as Sprucekit, and Brush, from this day forward, you shall be known as Brushkit. We welcome all of you to the Clan"

All of the cats in the clearing started to chant their new names, "Pinefrost! Sprucekit! Brushkit!" The chant seemed to last a moon, but finally, it died down.

"Pinefrost, Sprucekit, Brushkit, now that you are officially members of the Clan, you have to stay in the nursery until you two are apprenticed, then you two will move on to the apprentices den, and Pinefrost, you will join the warriors den." Stormstar explained. They all nodded their heads, and Stormstar led them to the nursery. 'The beginning of a new start' Sprucekit thought just before snuggling up for a nap.


	2. Chapter 2

A few moons have past since Sprucepaw, Brushpaw, and Pinefrost had joined StormClan, and Sprucepaw has gotten used to Clan life, although, she wondered where her father has gone, and if he would ever find them. Meanwhile, Sprucepaw and Brushpaw went out to get some water. Sprucepaw noticed that Brushpaw had stopped and was examining some red berries. "Umm, Brushpaw, I don't think you should eat those. We should just go and get some water as we told Stormstar we were." Sprucepaw was worried when Brushpaw picked up a couple of berries and almost tried them. He dropped them when she spoke which made Sprucepaw feel a little better.

"What's the worst that could happen, Sprucepaw? They're just berries, and they smell okay." Brushpaw ignored Sprucepaw's pleas to not eat them as he got some more and ate them. "See? Nothing to worry abou-" he stopped talking and fell to the ground coughing and coughing.

"Brushpaw?" Sprucepaw was getting worried, "Brushpaw, this isn't funny! Brushpaw!" no matter how much she cried, he wouldn't stop coughing, and now, white stuff was coming out of his mouth. She couldn't help him without leaving him here, and when she would get back, it might be too late, but she had no other choice: she had to go get Rainfire the medicine cat. She ran back to camp and got Rainfire. She immediately got some herbs she said was necessary. Pinefrost stopped Sprucepaw and asked what the matter was, and when Sprucepaw told her, she cried and came with them.

When they reached Brushpaw, it was exactly what Sprucepaw was afraid of: it was too late. Rainfire tried to give him the herbs, but Brushpaw wasn't responding. Pinefrost let out a wail of angst.

"Why did this happen?" She wailed. "Was it a message from StarClan that we should have never come here?" She looked up at Sprucepaw, "Sprucepaw, we're leaving after we mourn for your lost brother."

Sprucepaw shook her head, "No mother, I am not leaving. I've made wonderful friends, and if something bad happens to me, I'll know that you loved me. Just understand my decision, and I think that you should stay too, for the sake of this Clan."

"Spruce, no, you can't leave me too. Not now. All I have left is you. Your father died because of those wolves. He tried to fight them off, but he never returned, and now Brush died. I can't lose you too." Sprucepaw was shocked to hear about her father after so long. Her mother never told Sprucepaw or Brushpaw about their father's death. Although, they figured that he had to have died, or else he would have found them. They had mourned for him together secretly one night, and the next morning, everyone wondered why they were so tired. "Fine, if you won't answer me, then I guess that I'll have to leave without you." Sprucepaw snapped back into reality when her mother spoke again. "Tomorrow morning, when you wake up, I will not be there, for I shall be on my way to find a new home to live."

As Rainfire, Pinefrost, and Sprucepaw carried back Brushpaw's body, Sprucepaw was wondering if her mother was telling the truth about leaving. Sprucepaw wished that Brushpaw never ate those strange berries, if he hadn't, all of this would never have happened.

Finally, they reached the camp. Everyone was staring at them with wide eyes wondering what happened to the young apprentice. Stormstar came out of her den, and stared at the dead apprentice who was now lying in the middle of the clearing. All of StormClan gathered around the young apprentice.

"We have lost one brave apprentice today and tonight, his family shall sit a silent vigil for him." Stormstar announced. After she announced that, all of the cats except for Pinefrost and Sprucepaw went back to their dens for a well rested sleep which Sprucepaw knew she wasn't going to get.

When morning came, Pinefrost said her goodbyes, and left the camp just as Sprucepaw heard someone waking up in the warriors den. Wavestorm stepped out, and Sprucepaw told her what happened, and all Wavestorm told her to do was to go get some sleep. Sprucepaw headed to the apprentices den and went to sleep wondering where her mother would go.


End file.
